Clutch mechanism



T. c. PROUTY.

I CLUTCHMECHANISM. APPLICATXON FILED APR.14,I917.

Patented 0st. 24, 1922.

Zqevufifr: 226 010 1 3% Patented Oct. 24,; 1922.

To all whom it may concern UNITED STATES 1,433,299 PATENT ,OFF-ICE.

THEODORE C. PROUTY OFELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNO B, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 PATENTS HOLDING CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

I c'riu'rcn MECHANISM.

Application filed April 14, 1917. Serial No. 162,081. I

Be it known that I, THEODORE C. PROUTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain nei'i and useful Improvements in a Clutch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in. clutch mechanism and has for its object to provide a clutch means'which may be readily operated to cease its function as a clutch.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation ofa speedometer. or more especially the odometer mechanism'thereof,partly in section, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig.2 is a pers ective of the tenths indicating wheel an the sleeve member, a portion" of the driving. shaft being shown as projecting from the latter.

Fig' 3. is an end view of the odometer setting mechanism, aportion of the setting Wheel being broken away for.clearness.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view along the line 4.4 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

1 Fig. 5 is a perspective of the spring memher; and

Fig. 6 isa sectional view taken along the 'line 6-6 of Fig. 1, as viewed in the direction of the arrows.

In the'embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated my improved mechanism as applied to a vehicle odometer, or mileage indicator, to permit setting or resetting of the trip indicator, although I do not wish to be restricted to the use of my invention in that connection.

The object of this invention, and the invention, will be more fully set forth inthe following specification as shown in the accompanying drawing, in whichlQ indicates generally a casing of well known construction. containing speedometer and odometer mechanism, the latter comprising a series of indicating dials A, known as season indi- Gators, and a second set of dials indicated by Band known as trip' indicators. I have shown three of the latter indicated individually as Z), 6 and 6 being the tenths, units and tens indicator wheels, respectively. In

at one point in a suitable bracket bearing12 and which terminates in the enlarged portion'll. I will refer hereafter to the shaft 11 as the driving shaft, it being understood that'rotation is transmitted thereto through the medium of gear 10 which acts as a driving member of the odometer and suitable associated mechanism to transmit the rotation of a vehicle wheel,-or the like, whose distance of travel is desired. The indicator wheels b-Qb -and b are rotatably mounted upon the sleeve 13 which loosely surrounds the drive shaft 11 and carries a washer 14 to prevent accidental displacement of the tation of the driving shaft 11 to the tenths indicator 5, and which is transmitted in the proper proportion to the successive indicators b? and Zfgthe former being rotated one division, generally one-tenth of its circumference for each complete rotation of the tenttswheel, and the latter being similarly rotated in proportion by the rotation of the units indicator 5?. To provide for the driving of the tenths indicator wheel I), I pro vide the sleeve 15 rotatably mounted upon the enlarged portion 11 of the drive shaft 11, as shown in Fig. 1. This sleeve 15 is provided with a flanged, or headed, portion 15 having a plurality of serrations, or teeth, 'which mesh with surrounding serrations, or teeth, in the flange of the tenths wheel 6, (see Figs. 1 to i),,so that rotation of the sleeve 15 will resultin rotation of tenths wheel 5', as will be obvious. The sleeve 15 is slotted as indicated at 15", (see Fig. 2) and fitting within the slotis the rip-turned end 16 of a coiled spring 16, the same being of such size and dimension as to fit within the enlarged bore 15 of thesleeve 15 (see Fig. 1) and to normally and tightly grip the portion 11 of the shaft 11. The spring 16 is so constructed and arranged that its outside of the end of the sleeve 15, as shown in Fig. 2, from which end project a plurality of fingers 15, between a pair of which lies the said up-turned end 16 of the spring 16 normally spaced from each of the adjacent fingers 15, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 6,. for example. A peripherally roughened resetting wheel 20 is provided,

' the same being capable of manual opera- -tion. The setting wheel is provided with a central aperture 20, through which project a slight distance the lugs 20 fitting betweenthe fingers 15 of the sleeve 15, the lugs 20 and fingers 15* being so arranged as to permitr a desired amount of play between the setting wheel 20 and the sleeve 15, hereinafter to be described. This setting wheel 20 is retained in engagement with the sleeve member 15 by means of the washer 21 located outside thereof, the washer being retained in position by means of the screw 22 threaded into engagement with the threaded aperture 11 of the shaft 11.

In operation, rotation of the drive shaft 11 will be normally transmitted to the sleeve member 15 through the medium of the coiled spring 16 which positively grips the enlargedportion 11 of the shaft 11 with sufficient friction to transmit its rotation to the sleeve member 15 through the medium of the upturned end 16*, the spring 16 being so arranged on the shaft 11 with respect to the direction of rotation of the latter, that such rotation has the effect of tightening the spring 16 upon'the shaft, portion-11, thereby increasing frictional contact. When it is desired to set or reset the trip indicator, the setting wheel 20 is rotated in the desired direction, and the functioning thereof is'as follows:

Assuming that the setting wheel 20 is rotated in the diiectionof the arrow in Fig.

' 15 of the sleeve member, the latter being 6, whichrotation would have the effect of decreasing the indication of the trip indicator wheels, the adjacent-lug 20 of the wheel 20 will contact with the up-turned end 16 of the spring 16, the movement of said spring being resisted by its frictional grip on the shaft 11 and its up-turned end 16 mounted in the slot 15", this rotation of the setting wheel 20 being continued against the resistance of the spring 16. The latter will be sufficiently uncoiled to decrease the frictional grip on the shaft 11 until the sleeve member 15 is allowed to rotate on said shaft carrying the tenths wheel I) with it until the desired indication or setting is reached. In the event that it is desired to rotate the indicator Wheels in the opposite direction, the rotation of the setting wheel 20 is reversed and the frictional grip of the spring member 16 is .sufi'icientlv decreased by virtue of the engagement of the up turned end 1.6 of thespring with the slot rotated by means of the setting wheel 20, through contact of lug 20" against the fin gers 15 In normal driving, as well as in setting and resetting, the transmission of the tenths wheel I) is communicated to the units wheel Z2 through the medium of 'the pinion 25 coacting with suitable gearing in the inner 1 ,asaeea periphery of. the indicator wheels, the mechanism, not forming a part of the present invention, being of the form shown and described in my, co-pending application, Serial No. 783,070, filed August 5, 1913.

It willbe apparent'that I have provided a clutch member to insure such normal driving connection between the driving member and a driven member as will permit independent movement of the driven member relative to the driving member through the medium of setting wheels, or other actuating apparatus, even while the driving member is in operation.

In the embodiment shown in the speedometer mechanism, it is obvious-that where, as is the case in some forms of speedometer, for instance, the Van Sicklen instrument, the rotation of the main driving element, not shown, leading from the vehicle wheel, or the like, is transmitted 'to the driving gear 10 and shaft 11 through the medium of worms or worm gears, or other gearing mechanism, it will be impossible to set the gear wheels against resistance of such gear ing especially if the same were operating to normally rotate the indicator wheels in a direction opposite to thatin which-it was desired to set them. It will be obviousand apparent that my invention is' susceptible of other embodiments, modifications andimprovements, and I do not wish to be redriven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said shaft, a'coiled spring mounted on said shaft and frictionally engaging the same and means for rotating said dri'ven member independently ofsaid driving shaft said spring being automatically disengaged from said driving shaft by the operation of said means. 2. The-combination of a driving shaft, a driven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said shaft, a coiled spring mounted on said shaft and frictionally engaging the same, said spring being in engagement with said sleeve to rotate the same with said driving shaft, means for rotating said driven member independently of said driving shaft, said means acting to uncoil said spring to permit relative movement of said sleeve with respect to said shaft.

3. In combination, a driving shaft, adriven member having" a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said fshaft provided with} spaced apart finger portions, a springcoiled around said driving shaft and normally frictionally engaging the same, said spring having a portion engaging said sleeve, and a driven member having. a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said 5 aft provided ,with spaced apart finger portions, a sprin coiled around said driving shaft and norma ly frictionally engaging the same, said spring having a portion engaging said sleeve, a second portion lying between and spaced from said 7 'a portion closely fitting in said slot, a second portion spaced from and located between said finger portions, and an operating member having a portion fitting between said finger portions and operable when moved in one direction to engage the'adjaeent portion of saidspring to partially uncoil. the

same.

6. The combination of a driving shaft and a driven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted on the'shaft, of a clutch spring connected at one end ,to the'sleeve and "within the same, being'coiled on the shaft and normally in frictional engagement therewith, and means for rotating said driven member independently of said driving shaft and arranged to automatically loosen the grip of saidslpring when operated.

7. he combination of a driving shaft, a driven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a spring'clutch member coiled aroundand frictionally engaging the shaft and within the sleeve to operatively connect the shaft and member, and means to independently operate the driven member and to automatically disengage said springfrom said shaft.

8. The combination of a driving shaft, a driven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a spring clutch member coiled on the shaft and within the sleeve to operatively connect the shaft and member, and manually operable means to independently operate the driven member and automatically disconnect the operative engagement of the clutch with the shaft.

9. The combination of a driving shaft; a driven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft; a spring clutch member coiled on the shaft.and within the sleeve to opera-tivelyconnect the shaft and member; and manually operable means, constructed and arranged to independently operate said driven member and automati-- cally disconnect the operative engagement between the shaft and spring, andpermit relative movement of the sleeve with respect to the shaft.

10. Resetting mechanism for odometers comprisin a driving shaft, a driven member having a sleeve provided with longitudinally extending spaced apart fingers rotatably mounted on the shaft, a spring coiled around the shaft and normally frictionally engaging the same, the spring'having a portion engaging the sleeve, and .a second-portion lying between and spaced from the fingers.

11, Resetting mechanism for odometers comprisin a driving shaft, a driven member havin a s eeve provided'with longitudinally exten ingspaced apart fingers rotatably mounted on the shaft, a spring coiled around the shaft and normally frictionally engaging the same, the spring having a portion en gaging the sleeve, and a second portionglying between and spaced from said fingers, and manually operable means tomove the sleeve relative. to the shaft, said meanshav- 'inga portion interposed between the fingers of the sleeve and operable to en age the portion of the spring located there tween, to partially uncoil the same.

12. In combination, a driving shaft, a driven member having a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft, the sleeve being slotted and also having axially projecting fingers, connecting means between the sleeve and shaft comprisinga spring coiled around and frictionally engaging the shaft, the spring havin a portion closely fitting in the slot, 3. secon portion spaced from and located between said fingers, and operating means having a portion fitting between said fingers and operable when-moved in one direction to engage the adjacent portion of said spring to partially uncoil the same, the connecting means being constructed and arranged to automatically reconnect the shaft with the sleeve upon release of the operating means.

13. A clutch mechanism which comprises.

a driving shaft, a driven sleeve member, a

spring member arranged to grip said shaft and connected at each end to said sleeve member and arranged to drive said sleeve from said shaft andmeans for independently driving said .sleeve and automatically releasin said spring from said driving shaft.

11 testimony. whereof, I have subscribed my name.

THEODORE C. PROUTY. Witnesses:

E. N. Hnaesrnn, ISRAEL Heron. 

